New Partnership with EU and Big Six Supports Youth for SDGs

7 minutes
New partnership with EU and Big Six

World Scouting is partnering with the European Commission and Big Six Youth Organizations to drive youth-led change for the SDGs through Global Youth Mobilization (GYM). Powered by the EU Youth Empowerment Fund, and designed by, with and for young people, the partnership is a EUR 10 million pilot initiative and represents significant investment in the youth development sector.

As a flagship initiative of the EU Youth Action Plan, the partnership between the EU and the Big Six will provide and facilitate access to vital resources for young people to contribute to the sustainable development of their local communities and societies in EU partner countries across the world to reach the objectives of Agenda 2030, in line with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy. 

Launched today, it marks the first anniversary of the Youth Action Plan for EU External Action, the EU’s policy framework for a strategic partnership with young people to build a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future. 

Taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, the launch event included Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Carlos Sanvee, the Chair of the Global Youth Mobilization, Frederic Kama-Kama, WOSM Regional Director for Africa, WOSM Youth Representatives, representatives of the Kenyan Scout Association and young leaders from across the world. 

Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen said: “Our Youth Action Plan has three pillars: engage, empower and connect. The Youth Empowerment Fund embodies them in practice and responds to the calls from young people during the consultation process. Together with the Big Six, we will facilitate access for young people to the tools they need to initiate change and mobilise their peers. Our micro-grants will support youth-led projects, contribute to sustainable development and build recognition for young people as change-makers. Through this partnership, we will deliver concrete opportunities in local communities to achieve the SDGs, ensuring that no-one is left behind.” 

World Organization of the Scout Movement Secretary-General, Ahmad Alhendawi said: “The EU’s commitment, trust and recognition in the importance of youth-led action, decision-making and the power of local solutions is a significant moment for our sector. We are at the mid-point of the 2030 SDGs and are well off-track. From climate change, gender equality through to education and skills, young people have the most to lose if the world fails to deliver. By investing in youth-led change and teaming up with World Scouting and our partners across the Big Six, the Commission are making a big and bold commitment to the power and potential of young people to drive change around the world.”

WOSM Secretary General Ahmad Alhendawi and European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen
WOSM Secretary General Ahmad Alhendawi and European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen at a meeting in April 2023

The partnership will break down barriers to funding; provide opportunities for mentoring, coaching and capacity strengthening; unlock opportunities for marginalised and under-represented communities; and engage, empower and mobilise young people to create local solutions to the world’s biggest challenges from climate change and gender equality to access to education and employment.

Accessible funding for youth-led initiatives to accelerate progress towards the SDGs

Despite facing unparalleled challenges and being disproportionately affected by worsening inequalities in society, young people are a powerful force for change, and youth-led and youth co-created initiatives have enormous potential to contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Yet young people often face barriers in accessing funds and opportunities to scale up successful initiatives.

The EU Youth Empowerment Fund through the Global Youth Mobilization will address this challenge by making low-barrier funding accessible for young people at the grassroots community level, minimising “red tape” and creating accessible opportunities that are relevant to the needs and priorities of young people, including marginalised and under-represented populations. 

The Fund will also support mentoring and coaching opportunities, as well as capacity strengthening of young people to build their resilience, and help them lead, take action and advocate for their needs. 

Young people will lead on all aspects of the EU Youth Empowerment Fund through the Global Youth Mobilization, from selecting grant beneficiaries, to sitting on the Board of the initiative, to supporting mentoring and capacity strengthening programs, and participating in the design, leadership and implementation of projects in their communities. 

The first activities of the Youth Empowerment Fund will start in late 2023, with first grants being disbursed to young people in early 2024. WOSM will be sharing further information with National Scout Organizations in due course about how they can apply for funds or take part in activities. 

New partnership with EU and Big Six supports youth for SDGs
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World Scout Bureau

Global Youth Mobilization Chair and World YMCA Secretary-General Carlos Sanvee said: “Young people are the solution, not the problem. Time and again, they have the solutions to the challenges they and their communities face. The future is theirs. The EU and the GYM will provide them the platform, the funding, and the facilitation to get their ideas off the ground. We in the Big Six are delighted to work together with the EU and would like to thank the Commissioner for her leadership and exceptional commitment to young people all over the world.”  

Helga Mutasingwa, Youth Representative and Activist, said:The launch of the Youth Empowerment Fund through GYM is welcome news for young people around the world.  Young people are the experts in their own lives. We know that when given direct access to resources, the opportunity to lead, and the support and networking opportunities to connect with one another, they can make a positive difference for themselves and their communities. The EU-Big Six partnership will put young people in the driving seat - with decisions for us, made by us - and we are excited to show the impact we can make towards the SDGs as a result.”

 

Background 

The European Commission’s work for and with youth is guided by the Youth Action Plan (YAP) in European Union external action for 2022-2027, the first-ever policy framework for a strategic partnership with young people around the world. It focuses on young people as change makers and essential partners in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other international commitments such as the Paris Agreement on climate change. It aims to ensure that EU external action contributes to youth empowerment at political, social and economic levels, and to facilitate young people’s meaningful engagement in decision and policy-making. 

The Global Youth Mobilization (GYM) is an initiative of the Big Six, established in 2020. From 2020-2022 it invested more than US$ 5 million to support 640 youth-led projects which engaged more than 600,000 young people and reached over 3.6 million people in communities across more than 125 countries.

Formed in 1996, the Big Six Youth Organizations are an alliance of leading international youth-serving organizations. The Big Six is comprised of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), the World Alliance of Young Men’s Christian Associations (World YMCA), the World Alliance of Young Women’s Christian Associations (World YWCA), the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (The Award).

Together, the Big Six actively involve and engage more than 250 million young people, contributing to the empowerment of more than one billion young people during the last century. 

 

For more information 

Youth (europa.eu) 

Global Youth Mobilization 

 

Contact

Global Youth Mobilization: Nelson Opany, World Scout Bureau ‑ Africa Support Centre, nopany@scout.org, tel. +254 726 951 296

European Union: Ana Pisonero, European Commission Spokesperson for International Partnerships, ana.pisonero-hernandez@ec.europa.eu, tel. +32 2 295 43 20